The present invention relates to optical scanners and more specifically to a programming apparatus and method for optical scanners.
Optical scanners are well known for their usefulness in retail check out and inventory control. They generally employ a laser for generating a scanning beam. An optical transceiver includes a deflecting mirror, which deflects the laser light beam against a plurality of stationary mirrors, and a collection portion, which collects the reflected light beam from the coded indicia. A motor rotates the optical transceiver, and a detector receives the returning light beam. An example of an optical scanner can be found in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,410, entitled, "Scanning and Collection System for a Compact Laser", issued Nov. 20, 1990, to Wike, Jr. et al. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference.
Scanner programmability is now an accepted and popular feature on most optical scanners. Optical scanners may be programmed to cause any suitable function, including code type, communication mode, and baud rate to be alternated in response to the reading of a given function character. Even speaker tone may be adjusted. This programming is accomplished by scanning special bar code labels corresponding to a desired firmware configuration. An example of such programming methods can be found in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,375, entitled, "Method for Changing Functions of a Bar Code Reader", issued Sep. 19, 1989, to Blanford. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference.
The method disclosed by Blanford works well for programming individual scanners. However, it would also be desirable to use a scanner to program any number of scanners.